Chapter 6: Trust Isn't Wrong

Fenglin City is located in Qinghe County. In terms of size, it ranks at the bottom of the thirteen cities in this county, only before Mao City.

For the head of a Taoist academy in such a city, a Rank 6 Taoist of the middle stage is usually matched. Dong Ah, with his Rank 5 cultivation, sits in Fenglin Taoist Academy, which is inevitably rumored to have offended someone in Zhuang Capital.

But for the disciples of Fenglin Taoist Academy, this is undoubtedly a good thing.

"So, besides Fang De Cai's testimony, before this duel, you cannot provide conclusive evidence that Fang Pengju personally arranged the attack with the intention of killing you and taking your elixir?" Dong Ah, dressed in a black Taoist robe, sat cross-legged on a cushion in a quiet room.

Behind him, on the wall, hung a scroll portrait of a Taoist wearing a noble purple Taoist robe. The brushstrokes were meticulous, and the image was lifelike, but the Taoist's face was hidden in the mist, unclear.

Jiang Wang stood respectfully in front of the academy head with bowed head. Upon hearing the question, he stated in as calm a tone as possible: "I know clearly that it was him, and that's enough. As for irrefutable proof, he will naturally give it to everyone before his death. And he really did not disappoint me."

Dong Ah knew that he was referring to the Vein Opening Pill that Fang Pengju had taken.

"Was it too hasty and reckless?"

"I should have proceeded slowly, compiled evidence, and waited for the academy's ruling. But the inner courtyard selection is in two days, and since Fang Pengju has already shown his Taoist meridian, he will definitely become the academy head's disciple. Time is short, so I can only take a risk. Jiang Wang dares to kill an outer courtyard disciple, but not an academy head's disciple."

The outer courtyard is just a preparatory stage, while the inner courtyard disciples are the true disciples of the Taoist academy!

While speaking, Jiang Wang kept his head down, showing the humility and duty expected of a disciple.

But at this moment, what flashed through his mind was the sound of swords outside the True View, coming from the west!

That man named Li Yi, with a single sword strike, beheaded a talent as strong as Zuo Guanglie. Why bother with twists and turns?

Compared to the battle outside the True View, how weak he was! How frail his proud swordsmanship was!

Where was there time to procrastinate, to seek a foolproof method to slowly contend with Fang Pengju in the Taoist academy?

Moreover, if it weren't for today's direct single sword strike and courageous challenge to a Taoist certification duel, using other methods of confrontation, where would he have the advantage over Fang Pengju, who was backed by the Fang family of Fenglin?

"If the Vein Opening Pill used by Fang Pengju was taken from you, then where did your Vein Opening Pill come from?"

Here it comes.

Jiang Wang's heart tightened slightly, but his face showed nothing. The battle outside the True View, even though no one dared to approach temporarily due to the power of the experts involved, would inevitably attract investigation afterwards. Moreover, Gongyang Bai and others set up a formation within the territory of the State of Zhuang, so it was impossible not to communicate with the experts of the State of Zhuang in advance. No matter how small the State of Zhuang was, it had the dignity of a country!

As the strongest person on the surface in the entire Fenglin city area, it was impossible for Dong Ah not to know about that battle.

Fortunately, Jiang Wang had no secrets to hide in the entire matter, and in this world with extraordinary power, the traces he left behind could not be concealed.

At the moment, he tried his best to describe everything he had heard at the time from the most objective perspective, without any subjective attitude. This included his physical condition, his thoughts and decisions, how he fumbled for the Vein Opening Pill from the blurred flesh and blood, and finally how he buried those corpses.

Only the matter of the empty key was omitted.

During the narration, except for the fleeting, explosive anger in his eyes, Dong Ah remained silent.

Jiang Wang, of course, knew where this anger came from.

On the outskirts of Fenglin City, outside the True View, this was the territory of the State of Zhuang! And powerful cultivators from Qin and Chu fought fiercely here, without any scruples. No one in the entire Fenglin City, or even Qinghe County, dared to interfere in this battle. For the cultivators of the State of Zhuang, this was a great humiliation in itself.

The reason why Dong Ah suppressed this anger was nothing more than not wanting to expose the weakness of the State of Zhuang, to avoid affecting the disciples' confidence in their cultivation.

He should be a good academy head.

Jiang Wang silently observed this middle-stage expert who would dominate his cultivation path for a long time to come - he had never had such an opportunity before today.

While observing and summarizing, he finished narrating the experience he had already mentally prepared.

"The origin of your Vein Opening Pill is clear. I have reviewed your mission records from your time in the outer courtyard. You have a sense of proportion and decisiveness, which is rare."

Dong Ah glanced at Jiang Wang faintly before saying, "In the future, you can refer to yourself as a disciple in front of me."

Jiang Wang's heart relaxed, knowing that this hurdle had passed. And he had already been recognized by the head of Fenglin Taoist Academy and directly selected into the inner courtyard.

He crossed his two thumbs, left hand outside, right hand inside, holding his fists Yin and Yang to his chest, nodding slightly, and bowing: "Thank you, my teacher."

Confucianism emphasizes heaven, earth, ruler, parents, and teacher. For Taoism, the teacher comes before ruler and parents, because the teacher imparts the Tao, and is the person who expounds the Great Way.

For all the inner courtyard disciples of Fenglin Taoist Academy, Dong Ah was their benefactor.

Dong Ah closed his eyes slightly and said no more, "Go."

...

Coming out of the quiet room where the academy head meditated, he walked side by side with Ling He and Zhao Rucheng, who had been waiting outside.

The three of them did not speak for a while, and the atmosphere was heavy.

Jiang Wang returned, but Fang Pengju was dead. The so-called "Five Fenglin Heroes" still existed in name only.

Since Du Yeh Hu did not appear here, he must have hidden somewhere to drink. Among these people, he seemed the most carefree, but when encountering such things, he was probably the one who could not face it the most. No matter how much he cursed and hated, it could not erase the fact that he had once regarded Fang Pengju as a brother.

As the big brother, Ling He was the first to break the silence: "You two go back to the dormitory first. I still have to send Pengju's body back to the Fang mansion."

The outer courtyard disciples of Fenglin Taoist Academy lived six to a dormitory. The Five Fenglin Heroes, because of their like-mindedness, simply moved into the same dormitory. Others could not enter this circle, so they always lived five to a dormitory.

Jiang Wang did not speak.

Ling He was just this kind of person. No matter how wrong Fang Pengju was, he could not abandon his body.

"Are you still hating the fourth brother?" Ling He asked.

"Don't call him fourth brother anymore," Zhao Rucheng's handsome face showed a trace of disgust, "I am ashamed to talk about such a person who murders his brother and is despicable and malicious."

Compared to his age, Ling He's face was a little too mature, which was probably why he was more easily trusted. Among the five, he had always been the big brother, taking care of his younger brothers.

Also because of his steady and mature side, people often overlooked that he was actually only nineteen years old, only two years older than Jiang Wang, and three years older than Zhao Rucheng.

It's just that the children of the poor grow up quickly.

Looking at Ling He, Jiang Wang shook his head and said, "It's not worth hating him. I only hate myself for being foolish, for trusting the wrong person."

Although he appeared so calm, Ling He still heard the trace of resentment that could not be resolved. He understood enough.

"Trust is one of the brightest things in this world. Trust is not wrong, Jiang Wang." Ling He said, "The one who betrayed your trust is wrong."

He did not continue, but his sincere eyes told Jiang Wang:

The brotherhood between us is also not wrong, and it is not fake. The wrong and fake one is just the person who betrayed all this. It is just Fang Pengju.

That's why he had to send Fang Pengju's body back, so that he wouldn't be left without a place after death. This was not out of recognition or sympathy for Fang Pengju, but simply out of respect and maintenance for the brotherhood that the few of them once had and should not change in the future.

This is Ling He.

No matter how hot-tempered Du Yeh Hu was, or how arrogant Fang Pengju was, they were all willing to call him big brother, and it was not just because of his age.

"Go ahead. When a person dies, the lamp goes out, and grudges disappear." Jiang Wang stopped: "But I can't go with you."

"I can't do it even more," Zhao Rucheng said coldly.

Ling He patted Zhao Rucheng's shoulder, looked at Jiang Wang deeply again, and then turned and left.